Over the weekend my sister came to visit and we did so much. I am not kidding! We saw the first cherry blooms at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (I need to go back when they are in full bloom!), tried a couple new breakfast places including Sisters and Three Seat Espresso, drank many cappuccinos (we had Happy Bones completely to ourselves), went to Williamsburg, and did a lot of walking around Cobble Hill. The weather was so nice, and I hate to be one of those people that constantly talks about the weather, but it felt like New York was alive again. The sidewalks were full of people laughing and enjoying sidewalk cafes and I swear I could even hear birds chirping. I may have to break out my new ice cream machine soon.

The past couple of days I've been going for outside runs after work, and boy, does it take some getting used to. After being on a treadmill all winter, I'm being reminded how much different it is to run outside. I've only done a two or three miles but I'm hoping with time I can build myself back up to the place I was last Fall. Here is to determination!

In my last post I talked about my struggle with lack of inspiration lately, so this week I've decided to go with another recipe that is familiar to me with a little twist. My grandparents were Italian so eating spaghetti with meatballs (and thinking it is a well-balanced meal) is basically second nature to me. I was craving it but couldn't stomach making another batch of turkey meatballs, so when I saw ground pork at the grocery store I decided to give that a try instead. I rarely cook with pork (or red meat) so this was challenging and fun.

Spicy Pork Meatballs with Spaghetti

For the Meatballs:

1 lb ground pork

2 cloves garlic, chopped finely

1/2 cup olive oil

1 egg

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more depending on how much spice you like)

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Sauce

1 16 oz. can tomato sauce

2 roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 cup fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 lb thick spaghetti

In a bowl, mix together all of the meatball ingredients until combined well. Form the meatballs into round balls (slightly smaller than a golf ball) and cool in a skillet until browned on all sides, but not completely cooked through.

In a separate large skillet, add tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes, garlic and olive oil and heat on low. Add in white wine and spices, and cook until slightly reduced. Add in the meatballs and continue to cook until everything is simmering and the meatballs are cooked through.

Cook spaghetti according to package instructions and drain. Put spaghetti on places and pile with sauce and meatballs. Garnish with parsley and parmigiano-reggiano and enjoy!